More specifically, the supporting base of this invention lies in the technical field of supports for medical instruments.
In effect, in the medical sector, it is often necessary to have supporting bases on which the medical instruments are positioned. More specifically, these supporting bases allow the instruments necessary to perform predetermined operations to be held and made available to the doctor (preferably “near to hand”).
In detail, this invention is preferably used in the dental treatment sector, where it is necessary to provide the dentist with various types of instruments. In practice, the supporting base holds the instruments which the dentist believes it is worthwhile having available. In any case, this invention is part of what is commonly called: “surgical kit”.
According to the prior art, a supporting base for medical instruments is formed by a rigid plate on which a plurality of through holes are made. In addition, the rigid plate has a surface on view and a rear surface opposite the surface on view.
More specifically, at each through hole a respective gripping ring is inserted which defines a narrowing of the hole in such a way as to form a passage cross-section which is able to retain a specific medical instrument. In other words, each gripping ring defines inside it a passage in which the medical instrument is held. The gripping ring is preferably made of silicone rubber in such a way as to grip the instrument which is inserted inside.
More specifically, each gripping ring partly superposes the front surface and the lower surface of the rigid plate, in such a way that they remain in position. In other words, the gripping ring has externally an intermediate cavity with an annular shape housing the edge defining the respective hole of the plate once the gripping ring has been inserted.
In addition, the gripping ring is positioned in the hole by an operation for deformation of the ring in such a way as to form a mechanical locking on the plate.
Further, each gripping ring may have protrusions inside, of various shapes and types, which favour the retaining of the medical instrument inside the passage.
During use, the rigid plate (normally supported by suitable feet) is placed on a work table and the various medical instruments are inserted in the holes (extending at right angles to the surface area of the plate).
However, this prior art technique has several drawbacks.
More specifically, the main drawback is linked to the fact that dirt can accumulate between the gripping ring and the plate which favours the proliferation of microbes, harmful bacteria, etc. Still more specifically, the dirt enters the gaps present between each gripping ring and the underlying hole.
For example, in the dental treatment sector, it often happens that the instruments are soiled with blood, water and saliva and that they are inserted in and removed from the plate several times during a dental operation. For this reason, these substances accumulate on the plate creating, over time, a surface for proliferation of bacteria and the like. Consequently, it is necessary to clean the plate regularly in order to prevent the formation of microbes which can corrode the instruments. However, the procedure for cleaning the plate is particularly difficult because the surfaces of the plate are not smooth surfaces, but comprise a plurality of obstacles due to the protrusions created by the various sealing rings. For this reason, for the cleaning it is necessary to remove the sealing rings, clean the surfaces of the plate and clean the sealing rings.
However, this operation is difficult and slow. In addition, each gripping ring, as it is made of rubber, tends to trap the dirt making its removal often impossible.
In addition, it should be noted that the making of the base is often a complicated operation as a whole. In effect, during manufacture, it is necessary to make the gripping rings separate from the plate and join the gripping rings to the plate at a subsequent time